Caesar or Rex? : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

In the last two years of his life Julius Caesar held absolute power in Rome and he was a monarch in everything except name. Was this, however, his objective since the beginning of his political career? Some authors, both modem and ancient have contended that Caesar always had a desire for absolute power and he always worked toward achieving that singular goal. His ancient biographers, such as Suetonius and Plutarch, reported omens and miracles that occurred upon his birth and they make repeated references to Caesar's life-long lust for power. This view is inaccurate and Caesar's goals, like those of most other people, changed over time, and he couldn't have hoped to achieve a monarchy until about 46 B.C. I will give an analysis of some of the major events in Caesar's life, discussing what his motivations were for each major action he took.